The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1887-04-15
JOAQUIN MILLER.
HE WRITES ENTERTAINMENT OF
NAPA VALLEY.
He Says It Is One of the Richest Valleys
of California-The Question of Chinese
Cheap Labor-Grapes of Luscious Taste
Everywhere.
Especial Correspondence


Everywhere.
Especial Correspondence
In THE NAPA VALLEY, Cal, March 25
Napa valley is perhaps the richest of the
many rich valleys that debouch into the
| great wheat fields of the Sacramento
valley. / do not know the meaning OF
the name Napa 1t is, perhaps, an Indian
word, whose meaning is lost in the obscurity
of years. For this is a very old as well as a
very rich valley. Still have seen grizzly
bears feeding like huge hogs on aeoriis L.
tween the trees of Napa valley; and rernem.
Der the time when l could gallop my horse
the whole length of the valley and not strike
single fence. So you see it has not been set
tied SO very long; although it is solid gar
den and vineyard now from one end to the
other. Four years ago France received from
this place alone 400, 900 gallons of wine.
persuade you that nearly all of
your French claret comes from this lit
tie inland valley. I merely state the
fact, and pass on to some of the details of
farm life here in this favored spot The best
farms are not the big ones Ten acres are
quite enough where soil is so deep and prolifit;
he is playing If he does not have several hum
dred acres. And I really think some men
here would be miserable without the GUS
tonary mortgage. Ten per cent is their usual
interest rate. lived all last summer on one
of the richest and largest farms here-one
that was burdened neither by mortgage nor
bad management; and I propose to give you
some of the quiet, dull, routine life of Cali
fornia farmer
The house, in the first place, like nearly all
houses here, is elegant, commodious, almost
grand. Bear in mind all Californians are
travelled and cultivated people in this
part of the country. You may find rough
rural people further on, but not here
where cultivated land rules at from
$50 to $500 per acre. So do not be
surprised when / tell you that Newport
has not finer cottages than dozens to be found
on these farms. The one / speak of is a
"bungaloo," or bungalow, as it is generally
snisspelled, and is patterned after the bunga-
loo of India 1t is a vast square e1ifice, set
high i'm the air, with broad verandas and
great central hall, pierced by four smaller
ones, with all the bedrooms in the four cor
llers and opening from without on the ver-
anda- The kitchen, dining hall and SO OH are
detached, as i'll the southern states
This farm of several hundred acres is
worked by Chinese and Portuguese entirely
No white man seems to quite fit in among
them, and, perhaps, this is best. Looking at
it from humanitarian point of view, hold
that man ought to try to put his brain to
the best use of which it is capable. A man
with good strong brain has no right to let
it rust out while he employs only his hands as
Il hired servant. His duty is to lay hold of
the land and hew out way for others, with
himself at the head Servants are plenty,
but masters are not numerous Therefore,
say, let the feeble minded Chinaman aud the
dull Portuguese do the heavy work with their
hands and let the brainy white man keep in
dustriously to the front.
There was no friction of any sort here all
summer, either between the laborers or labor
ers and employer. The Chinese have little
huts or shanties on a shaded hillside by them
selves The Portuguese also live apart So
far as could see the laborers kept the field
from dawn till dark, with long siesta of
about two hours when the MONDAY sun was
hottest. They all seemed to be very healthy
The water is led down from springs i'll the
high mountains that overhang the valley on
either side.
One night we had some trouble from huge
bear that came down and poked his nose into
the hog pen; and one day some hoodlum pol
iticians rode up and ordered the owner of the
place to discharge his Cinnamon ON peril of
being boycotted. In both these little disturb
sances Winchester rifle came hastily down
from its rack. But ON inquiry yesterday I
learned that neither bear nor boycotters
have been back since. The Cinnamon are
not "bossed" at all. They do things much
their own way. You never see the
"overseer" in the field, as in the southern
states. They seem to go to work when they
please, work as they please and stop when
they please. | am told that a strong and
willing white man can, il so minded do twice
AS much work as Chinanlan in day But
| am assured at the same time that, taken the
month through, it is a ease of the tortoise AMI
the hare, with the tortoise ahead at the end of
the race nine times out of ten.
As an example of the large liberty and
absolute freedom given these little brown
ieathen here, am tempted to tell ohe little
incident and speech which / overheard last
summer The Chinese cook was about to set
out on his annual visit to his home and parents
in China. The mistress of the "bungaloo" bade
him bon voyage in most kindly and demo-
cratic fashion. She gave him great deal of
money at parting and very little advice But
IS a last admonition, feeling, perhaps, that
he had not looked quite as carefully after his
Christianizing as she ought she cried out as a
inal order or command: "Now, Sam Linn, no
more wives! Don't you dare bring one more
wife. won't have her about the place
You've got two already; and that's enongll!'
The chief product of profit here is grapes;
ed grapes, white grapes, blue grapes, black |
l<Tr~
,rapes. AT every railway station you see
'ats and barrels and busy men in their midst.
Fhe wine seems to be handled mainly by |
Germans.
The grapes produce two crops year here;
new thing in grape growing as far as nearly
II the old world knows. But you would not
now a vineyard in California ut first sight.
Ialf the year it looks like field of stumpss
he other half it is tangle of dense vines
hat reach to your waist. And all the time
ot grape in sight You see every vine
) shorn off close to the stump in the fall and
lie whole field is plowed, and you see nothing
t all but rows of stumps knee high and of all
ICES. Then in the spring the stumps shoot;
nd the vines grow at such swift rate tiatI
are not record their speed under the hot srlf
4 this ardent spot of earth, for you would
estate to believe me. And all the time the
'hinainen dot the fields in their white blouseS
nd cut the ENDS Of the vines right and left
nth long. sharp knives to keep them from
unning all over the world After awhile the
Jumps burst into blossom, and by and by you
ut your hand down in the dense leaves by
ne old grape vine stump and you find solid
cap aid bank and mass of grapes
The prettiest sight in California is the hum
reds of high and heavily laden wagons with
rapes on the way to the wine press. They
ring from $50 to $50 per ton, according to
ne crop in France. Four tons to the acre is
OF rare; but half that would be nearer the
verage
These loads of grapes are drawn to market
trough lanes Of English walnut trees and
mond trees and fig trees. For California
not only furnishing the world with bread
nd wine. but with Walnuts and almonds and
IS as ,gelI
The steep hillsides are all being converted
to vineyards now as well as the valley, for
e wine Is found to be less heavy and
,eady' when made from the mountain
apes And 50 year after year the vineyards
iinb higher and higher up the steep red hills
Napa valley. And il you win lift your
&c still higher and look away to the top Of
e steep mountains that almost shut US in,
N viii see the olive lands For the olive
one promises 10 yield d revenue to Galifor-
that viii suI'pass even the wealth of her
ID fields.
1id Ton ever eat, or rather suck, . succli-